Rifleman&#39;s seat and instrument box



April 1935. J. F. HUFF RIFLEMANS SEAT AND IIISTRUMENT BOX Filed Aug. 23, 1935 @Al-*IZ ggf@ /5 lNVE OR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 16, `1935 UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE,

f 1,997,640 Y RIFLEMANS SEAT AND INSTRUMENT BX y Jannes F. HoftNew York, N. Y. Application August 23, 1933, Serial No. 686,378 Y a claims; (ol. 20e- 1) The Vobject of the present invention is to prowood, is light, strong, and resistant against heat vide a joint seat and instrument box, particuabsorption. larly for rilemen, its characteristic being a rela- The top compartment is intended to receive the tively narrow structure having a series oi 4comusual spotting telescope which is employed by 5 partmcnts and a seat support which may be nor'-l riemen at ranges after a shot and preceding 5 mally held in rigid closedv position and which thevnextshot in order to visualize and determine may be quickly thrown back to a position, preferthe position on the target at which a shot en- .ably in a plane parallel with the rear vertical tered so that corrections may be made in sighting wall of the device to 'fully expose the upper comfor the succeeding shot, and a wall or walls of partment and enable operationof a spotting telthe compartment support the spotting telescope lo escope contained in said compartment when the 6 for universal movement in such position that device is open ready foruse on a firing range. the rifieman lying substantially in firing position One requisite of such a device is that the comwith his head and shoulders raised, Vmay conpartments must be capable of very quick opening Veneltly Operate the SlJOttlg teleSCODS- T0 this and closing inasmuch as lbetween rounds'oviire end, I suitably strap the telescope to a saddle 15 at various positions relatively to the target, the member l (Fig. 4) carrying at its lower end a device must be carried by the rifleman. ball 8 surrounded by an internally threaded col- A further requisite is that although the device lar 9. The ball iS adapted t0 enter the tOlJ 0f must be light and of small dimensions, it must be tubular post it, whereupon collar a is threaded stable and held on the ground rigid against the 11.11011 the threaded upper end Of the post and a action of the wind, inasmuch as it both ao-rds Spring i! acting upon a Washer l2 will frotionally a spotting telescope support and a-resting seat engage the ball and will enable universal movefor the rifleman intermediate firing periodsV mont of the telescope. Post l may have a bear- The invention will be described with reference ing support upon bottom Wall 3M of Compartto the accompanying drawing in which: ment a and may be steadied by a strap i3 secured 25 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the dev-ice open t0 the adjacent Wall 0f COmDSJItm/Ilt w. and ready for use. By the means above described, the telescope Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation, partly secmay be quickly mOufltd in DOSitOl and quickly tion, showing in dotted lines, the position of a detached flOm DOSt i@ S0 that the Seat-Cover 3 removable `leg-bar in the removal and insertion may beY reStOIed to initial DOStOn- 30 of the same. Y The seat-cover 3 for compartment a is prefer- Fig. 3 is a verticaI transverse section of the ably so mounted that it may be swung back to upper portion of the device showing the position lie in a plane parallel with the rear wall I 4 of of the top immediately prior to a horizontal closthe structure. To this end, I employ, in the ing and latchng movement thereof. present embodiment, a plurality of strap hinges Fig. 4 is a detailed fragmentary view, partly in I5 and attach to the underface of the coversection, showing the spotting telescope saddle and seat, near each end thereof, a anged or L-shaped the means for holding the telescope for univerlatching member IE provided with spaced teeth sal movement. 16a: adapted to pass between and below the teeth 40 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5--5, of a companion latching bar l1 secured to an 40 Fg2 end wall I of the device when the cover-seat Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section on the line 6-B, lies in the position of Fig. 3. When the cover Fig. 2. member is moved in the direction of the arrow,

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that Fig. 3, teeth ltr will be moved in register with the device is a rectangular structure of narrow the teeth il of member l1 and in frictional width having end walls l, a bottom wall 2 and engagement therewith so that when the said three compartments a, b, c; compartment a havmovement is completed, the cover-seat 3 will be ing a seat-like cover 3; compartment b having a rmly held against upward movement until its hinged door 4; and compartment c having a position is restored to that of Fig. 3. 50 hinged door 5. It will be understood that when cover-seat 3 The walls and doors of the structure are preferis moved to closed position, vit may be locked in ably made of woodinasmuch as metal tends to that position by a member projected upwardly absorb the rays of the sun and become hot to into an aperture of the cover-seat. Two locking the touch, while wood such as ash or a semi-hard members are employed for the cover-seat, these 55 members being pins automatically thrown into and out of locking position.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that front panel I8 is formed with vertically extending apertures I9 to receive a tube or sleeve 20 within which is disposed a locking pin 2| somewhat reduced toward its upper end to receive a surrounding spring 22, the top of the spring engaging an annular shoulder formed by bending over the upper end of the tube 20. The lower end of pin 2| is somewhat reduced and bevelled, so that when the door 4 for compartment b is given a closing movement, the door will strike the bevelled end of pin 22 and move the same upwardly against the tension of spring 22 thereby carrying the end of pin 2| into a socket 3:1: formed in the cover-seat 3, the parts then lying in the position shown in Fig. 2.

The door for compartment c is automatically locked in closed position by the closing of door 4. To that end, panel 23 is formed with spaced apertures, preferably in line with apertures I9 of panel I8, each to receive a tube or sleeve 24 within which is disposed a pin 25 reduced toward its lower end for the reception of a spring 26, the lower end of the tube being bent inwardly to serve as a stop for the spring, the spring acting upon the pin to normally hold the same elevated so that the upper end of the pin 25 will be projected above panel 23. Thus, when door 4 is moved to closed position from its position shown in Fig. l, its lower horizontal edge will engage the projected ends of pin 25 and push them downwardly against the tension of spring 26, each pin entering a socket 5a: formed in the top of door 5.

Door 4 may be provided with a keylock indicated at 2l. Thus, when cover-seat 3 is moved to closed position, followed by a movement of door 5 to closed position, the closing and locking of door 4 will automatically lock the entire device. The lock 21 may be a spring lock requiring a key only for opening.

The device having little inherent stability because of its narrow cross-section, I have provided at each end wall near the base thereof, a metal plate 28 having spaced loops 29 for the reception of a leg-bar 30 having a substantially straight edge central portion and end portions tapered downwardly. the width of one end portion being about the same as the interior area of the loop in which it is received and the opposite end portion tapering in such manner that when the legbar is inserted with the end of smaller width formation, movement of the bar will continue until it reaches its proper predetermined position whereupon the bar will be frictionally held in such position, which frictional engagement will nevertheless permit quick removal of the bar at each end of the device preliminary to transporting it, the bars being placed in one of the compartments.

The construction of the device is such that when the leg-bars are removed and the doors closed, front and back walls will be free from projections so that the device may be carried Vclose to the body, as through the use of a carrying strap indicated at 3|.

In view of the limited time required in moving from one firing position to another, it is essential that the device be opened, closed and latched in a very short interval of time. My improvements enable closing and opening the device and mounting the spotting telescope, all within a few seconds time.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is as follows:

1. A riilemans seat and instrument supporting device comprising a relatively narrow casing formed by opposed vertical end panels and three horizontal connecting members, a vertical wall closing the device at its rear face and three panel-like members at the front face of the device, the uppermost panel member closing a compartment bounded at its base by one of said horizontal connecting members and the lowermost panel members being hinged to the front of the device and each serving to close a compartment bounded at its base by one of said horizontal connecting members, a seat normally closing the top compartment and having hinged connection to a wall thereof and means for latching the seat and the front panel-like members in closed position.

2. A device constructed in accordance with claim 1 in combination with laterally extending stabilizing members detachably connected to the device at the base thereof.

JAMES F. HUFF.

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